Leonard Utecht, 77, a former employee of the City of Chicago, received the nickname “official Santa Claus” for the city for his many appearances as St. Nick during the annual Chicago Christmas Parade.
He also made thousands of appearances over the years as Santa Claus in the Chicago area at nursing homes, grade schools, stores, hotels, museums, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and the World’s Largest Office Party.
Mr. Utecht, who had worked in the city comptroller’s office, was a resident of Chicago’s Belmont Heights neighborhood. He died Saturday in Resurrection Medical Center.
Mr. Utecht started appearing as Santa Claus in 1940. One of his major goals was achieved in 1980 when he was chosen to appear in his favorite role for the city’s annual Christmas Parade.
In 1986, he reported having made 187 appearances as Santa Claus. The next year, a Tribune article attempted to list a few of his Christmas season stops.
His most special appearance that year was at the Volunteer Appreciation Night for the Chicago Chapter of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association. His wife, Irene, had died from the disease the year before.
He was a member of the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.
There are no immediate survivors.
Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, 8033 W. Addison St., Chicago.
